You've Got a Way
by jaded innocence
Summary: There have been those that say a man and woman who appear to loathe each other will eventually end up together. Tristan and Rory definitely appear to hate each other. Other people will tell you that what seems to be is not always what is. T/R...R/R


You've Got a Way

By jaded innocence

Disclaimer: The title is from the Shania Twain song. I don't own Gilmore Girls

*

**A/N**: **I know that Rory was a junior when Tristan left. Well, pretend she wasn't. It works out better this way...more time for some good lovin'.**

*

First day back and already faced with a life-or-death decision.

Tristan surveyed his choices. Regular milk, or skim milk? Chicken covered in something unidentifiable or some kind of meat that he couldn't identify either? Stale cookies or stale brownies? Maybe it was best to bypass the idea of a hot meal entirely. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Tristan turned away from the lunch line, running his hand through his tousled blonde hair, and headed for the best in gourmet cuisine.

Lucky Charms, of course. 

As Tristan grabbed a bowl, a boy clapped him on the back and crept in front of him in the line for cereal. Tristan frowned as he looked up, and then grinned as he saw a tall, deeply tanned, dark-haired boy in front of him.

"Abram, my man, how _have_ you been? Please tell me you had a very _productive_ winter break," he grinned.

"Well, you know, Tris, same old same old. Florida beaches, vineyards, trips to the Cape. Never thought I'd see the day when you were going for Lucky Charms instead of Captain Crunch," he noted, bypassing Tristan's suggestive words entirely. He watched Tristan scoop cereal into his bowl and grabbed a bowl of his own, reaching for the Captain Crunch himself.

"Well, you know, it's the marshmallow thing. Adds some color to my morning. So, how-" 

Tristan began, starting conversation with his best friend, balancing his bowl in one hand and his milk carton in the other. He was interrupted by a hard bump near his left shoulder. In one motion, his bowl hit the floor, clattering and spreading hearts, stars and rainbows all over the floor.

"Oops, sorry DuGrey." Rory Gilmore slid up behind them, her face flushed. "I was-"

"Reading. I know," he replied, finishing her sentence. "You know, Mar, for someone so intelligent and clever like yourself, you lack the simple abilities to multitask. Thanks to your lack of alert, my clovers and blue moons are all over the floor."

"I didn't know you had such a curious affinity with marshmallows. However, they _are made of the same substance as what's in your head, so I suppose it makes sense." She smiled a saccharine smile and turned her attention to Abram, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek._

"Now, now, children, no fighting," Abram admonished lightly. He pulled his girlfriend into a quick embrace with his empty arm and watched, amused as the two glared at each other and Rory stuck her tongue out. This was no new routine to him. Tristan rolled his eyes and went off find a broom and another bowl of Lucky Charms. 

Rory plopped herself down next to Abram and across the table from Madison and Tom. She shook her head. "Why does he have to be so impossible?" she huffed as she opened her book.

"Because," Abram replied, placing his arms around her shoulders, watching her swiftly turn pages. "You look so cute when you're provoked." 

*

Several moments later, Tristan returned to the table, a new bowl of cereal in hand. The offending obstacles of oat and sugar were cleaned up, and finally settling himself after a long morning of classes, he sighed and watched the stream of milk overflow his cereal bowl.

Tristan wasn't really paying attention to the conversation, which he assumed would be about everyone's fabulous getaways over winter break. He definitely did not want to be reminded of his own break. He chewed thoughtfully and observed the occupants of the table instead. 

Some things had been very different when he returned for junior year. He felt almost as if he was starting over at Chilton, and he found himself fitting in with different people after a quick taste of another life. His old friends seemed juvenile and obnoxious, and he settled down with Abram, Tom, and Josh, three decent, nice guys who were fairly good-looking and liked to party, but who actually had a few concerns about life after Chilton.

He also returned to find that, in his absence, Rory had bonded with Madison, Tom's girlfriend, and had fallen for Abram the previous year. This put them in the same social crowd, which had been odd at first. Seeing her flooded him with several memories that were from a place in his life that he didn't particularly want to return to. 

He suspected this was why their friendship was so odd now-if you could even call it a friendship. The two were constantly bickering. Most of the time, she grated on his last nerve. She was so goddamn irritating-the way she read, every spare minute, the way she had an opinion on so many things, the infuriating way she seemed to always be picking a fight with him, the way she was so disgustingly cute with Abram. Everything about her got to him.

Besides, bickering was easier than trying to be friends with her. If they ever reached a point where they could engage in regular, pleasant conversations, there would be a chance that he could fall for her again.

Old habits die hard.

His best friends' girl. Yes, that would be a bit of a problem, wouldn't it?

Slurping the last of his milk out of the bowl, he watched Abram place wet kisses around Rory's ear. She swatted him away, but there was a faint smile on the corners of her mouth as she turned the page.

*

Tristan made it through the rest of his classes, managing to take a few notes for U.S. History, and managing not to fall asleep halfway through Calc. Congratulating himself on these achievements and feeling like he could actually make it through his first week back, he walked to his locker, meeting Abram in the hall about ¾ of the way there.

"So, Tris, you coming to the party this weekend?" Abram asked, slapping his friend on the shoulder. 

"Who's having a party this weekend?" Tristan asked, glancing at Abram sideways as he reached his locker and deftly turned the lock.

"Louise. New Year's, Part 2, apparently. I'm sure it'll be good. It's on Friday night," Abram told him. "I'm bringing Ror, Tom's bringing Madison, you and Jay can hang out and use your incredible skill to pick up good women..." Abram smirked mockingly.

"Hey, don't underestimate my flirting prowess," Tristan interrupted with a grin, piling books into his bag. "I've charmed many a woman with this face."

"And your amazing modesty obviously helps," remarked a voice behind Abram. Tristan sighed, watching Rory walking up smirking, her sweater sleeves rolled up, her hair in a sloppy ponytail. Abram grinned at her. 

"Don't be so harsh, Ror."

"What's this about a party? One that I've agreed to go to?" she asked Abram accusingly, smiling slightly.

"Ehh. Well...there's this party Louise is having on Friday to celebrate New Year's again, and, you know, making it halfway through the year and stuff...and I sort of figured...I mean, I know you've got that Chem thing on Monday...but...me and T are going-" Rory snorted. She interrupted Abram, addressing Tristan.

"Oh yea, being a woman killer and all. With that smile. I mean, I don't know how I've known you this long without ever falling for you." Tristan's stomach tightened.

"I guess that would be because you know that you couldn't keep your mouth shut long enough for me to kiss you anyway," he replied, smirking tightly, knowing that there was evidence to the contrary.

"Hey, hey now, no flirting with my girl, here," he teased Tristan.

"I can't flirt with your girlfriend. She's too irritating,"

"Maybe we _should date then, since we have that in common," she shot back._

"All right, that's enough of the two of you for me. I'm out of here. Rory, I'll call you tonight, same time. Tris, I'll see you tomorrow, man. And now, I think it would be best that you two separate in my absence. The two people I care for most lying dead by the lockers tomorrow would not make pleasant front page news."

Rory turned away from Tristan and Abram cupped her face in his hands, giving her a long, sweet kiss. Tristan wrenched his attention back to his books and tried to ignore them. Not that he cared whether they kissed or not. In general, PDA's made him sick. At least, that's what he told himself. 

"See you, Tristan," Rory mumbled, attempting to be civil. She hoisted her bag higher on her shoulders and adjusted her headphones on her ears.

"Bye, Mar," he called lightly, knowing he had just irritated her farther. She threw him a look. "I loathe you, you know."

"I know, I know. But it's a passionate feeling all the same. Bye, Rory." He grinned at her and walked outside into the sun. He didn't hear her turn on her CD and sigh. 

"Impossible," she mumbled, and let herself drown in Norah Jones.

*

R/R


End file.
